India’s First Aluminum Freight Rake

India's first freight rail rakes made entirely of aluminium were recently introduced by the Union Minister for Railways.

Details about the news

These freight rail rakes are made entirely of aluminium, according to Hindalco.
The development of the aluminium rakes aims to modernise freight transportation and enable significant carbon savings for Indian Railways.
The Bhubaneswar station has flagged off 61-wagon rakes.
The rakes are 180 tonnes lighter than steel rakes currently in use.
They have a 5–10% greater payload capacity.
They use less energy and cause relatively little damage to the rails and rolling stock.

Importance:

Reducing carbon emissions

The bottom discharge coal-specific aluminium freight waggon is tipped to significantly reduce carbon emissions. These waggons reduce CO2 emissions by 14,500 tonnes.
8–10 tonnes of CO2 are saved over the course of the wagon's lifetime for every 100 kg of weight reduction. For just one rake, this equates to a CO2 reduction of more than 14,500 tonnes.
The payload-to-tare weight ratio of these all-aluminium rakes is 19% higher, which will significantly improve the logistics and operational effectiveness of the Railways.
They are corrosion-resistant and use less energy.
They are completely recyclable and won't lose any of their quality even after 30 years.

Boost for sector growth:

The energy-efficient and environmentally friendly Railways are predicted to significantly increase their volume share from the current 18%, driving the freight sector in India to grow at a rate of more than 7% CAGR to 15 billion tonnes by 2050.
The importance of using aluminium: In the United States, Europe, and Japan, aluminium trains are the most popular.
This is a result of features like its svelte, aerodynamic designs.
They can tilt while moving quickly without deviating from the path.
As a result of its improved crashworthiness or superior crash absorption capability, aluminium is the material of choice for metro trains all over the world due to its durability and, most importantly, passenger safety.
The plans of Indian Railways to build Vande Bharat trains with aluminium bodies have already been made public.

Read Also: Privatisation of Indian Railways

Source: The New Indian Express

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